First record of Trichoceridae (Diptera) in the maritime Antarctic

During the austral summer of 2006–07, abundant Diptera were found in the sewage system of the Base Científica Antártica Artigas on King George Island. These are here identified as Trichocera (Saltrichocera) maculipennis (Diptera: Trichoceridae), a Holarctic species widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere which has been introduced to some sub-Antarctic islands, but never been recorded in the maritime Antarctic. The distribution of the fly on King George Island indicates that it has been introduced by human agency. Although its origin is unclear, adult specimens have distinctive morphological features rarely represented in autochthonous populations in Europe. To date, larvae have been found only in the Artigas Base sewage system, but adults have been observed around the buildings and more widely in the vicinity. Given the species’ natural northern range, habitats and feeding preferences, it is likely to have good preadaptation permitting survival in the natural terrestrial ecosystems of the maritime Antarctic. We recommend that urgent eradication efforts are made